


My Fox, My Wolf

by Hurricane_Kat0118



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26020321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hurricane_Kat0118/pseuds/Hurricane_Kat0118
Summary: A random run in the woods changes the life of a werewolf.
Relationships: John Deacon/Joe Mazzello
Comments: 13
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was heavily inspired by Forbidden by vanishing_time. If you haven't read it, check it out.

The sun was slowly starting to rise and the light from its rays was replacing the darkness of night. There was a slight chill in the air, Summer was fading into Autumn. A lone gray-furred wolf ran through the wilderness of the lands, leaves crunched under its paws. Not far behind the wolf, a black and white badger struggled to keep up.

“There’s no need to race, Deaky,” a voice said inside the wolf’s head. The wolf remained silent and continued its run deeper into the wooded area up ahead.

“Brian’s right,” a second voice added.

Soaring high above was a hawk.

“Slow down.”

Again, the wolf didn’t respond, for he was in no mood for talking. He just wanted to finish and return to the compound. The animals continued their trek across the terrain when all of a sudden, the wolf stopped. The scent of blood had captured its nose. It took a brief moment for the hawk and badger to realize their canine companion had stopped.

“What is it, John?” Brian asked as he approached the wolf.

“Don’t you smell that?” the wolf replied.

“Smell wha….” Brian cut off mid-sentence. Whatever it was John was smelling, he could too. “Blood,” he continued. “Blood and distress.”

“I see something by the river,” the hawk added, it was perched on the top branch of a tall tree.

“Head back,” said John. “Tell Freddie I’ll return shortly.

The wolf began making his way to the river. Halfway there the wolf morphed into a man with brown hair. Behind him the badger changed into a man with extremely curly hair and the hawk flew from the branch only for a blond haired man to take its place on the ground. All three men appeared to be around the same age, thirty at the most. They were all naked, but none of them were phased by it, nor did they feel the coldness against their skin.

Off the shore of the river was a young red-furred fox. It was badly wounded; its front left leg was bleeding badly from a deep bite. The small animal’s fur was matted and there was a gash over its right eye. John was the first to reach it. As he did, it morphed into a young boy, fifteen to seventeen years of age, with flaming red hair. The wounds visible on its human form as on its fox counterpart.

“A werefox,” Brian said astounded.

“There are no werefoxes around here,” the blond man said. “Not since the last war.”

John knelt next to the injured werefox. He was captivated, bewitched even, by the young creature. He had never seen a werefox, before or after the war. He could hear that Brian and Roger were still having a conversation, but he paid no attention.

As he got closer, he was hit with an unmistakable smell.

“This was done by a wolf,” John said. “We need to take him back with us.”

“Are you crazy?”

“He needs help, Roger. He’ll die if we leave him here.”

“Deaky’s right,” said Brian.

John scooped the boy into his arms, heat radiated like a furnace from his body. “He’s feverish, we have to hurry.”

The three men were once again running. Even in human form, Weres could move faster than mortals. The fox’s breathing was getting slower and becoming more difficult.

“Stay with me young one.”

Three kilometers deep into the woods, Roger, John and Brian came to a giant boulder. It was blocking the entrance to a cave. There was a smaller rock to the left boulder. Roger moved it aside to reveal a keypad and entered a four digit code.

“Password,” came an automated voice.

“Rhapsody,” Roger replied.

With a snap hiss, the boulder moved to reveal a dark passageway that lit up once the Weres entered. John ran down the passage. Despite its location, the walls and floor weren’t rock, but smooth concrete and the lights were iridescent. At the end of the passageway corridor there was a set of doors. The doors opened once John was upon them and he stepped inside. Waiting for Brian and Roger to enter, the doors closed and they descended.

Nearly a ten miles beneath the earth was a large and thriving community of Weres. Thousands of individuals of hundreds of animals were living together in peace and harmony. It was a tri-level community with the first level serving as the main living area and recreation space. When the elevator reached its destination, John ran out leaving Brian and Roger behind.

“I need a doctor to my room, quickly,” John shouted as he ran through hordes of people. Brian and Roger didn’t follow and due to the current circumstances, John didn’t care that they didn’t.

Getting to his room, he laid the werefox down on his bed. He grabbed a pair of jeans from the laundry pile and put them on. There was a stench to them but to John that wasn’t important. The well being of the werefox was.

“Somebody help, please!” John shouted as loud as he could.

A female werebadger, a member of Brian’s clan, came to assist. She worked frantically to reduce the fox’s fever and succeeded, using washcloths drenched in ice-cold water and shots of penicillin. She then moved on to cleaning and bandaging his wounds. John gave the woman, whose name he didn’t recall, room to work, but was still close by. He had quickly showered and had changed into some clean clothes.

“Will he make it?” he asked.

The woman nodded as she covered the fox’s body with a sheet. “He’ll be just fine.

John was relieved. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much for the young Were. Stepping closer to the bed, he saw that he was still asleep. He looked so young, so innocent. He probably never hurt anyone, Were or mortal, and yet a wolf tried to kill him. He reached out and gently brushed the back of his fingers against the fox’s cheek. His skin was still a little warm, but it wasn’t as bad as before.

“Is there anything else that needs to be done?” John asked.

“Just let him rest,” the woman replied. “His bandages will need to be changed every four hours. I’ll leave you some extra as well as medicine in case his fever spikes.”

“Thank you.”

“And one last thing. His wounds; they are consistent with wolf bites.”

“I was afraid of that. Stay here, I need to speak with Freddie.”

“Start again, from the beginning.”

Brian and Roger had both dressed and were now speaking with Freddie. Freddie Mercury was the eldest of the four close-knit friends. He was seen as a “savior” to many of the Weres that were calling Rhapsody their home, but Freddie didn’t see himself that way. Yes, he was the one who found the cave and brought survivors to it, but it was everyone working in unison who made Rhapsody the peaceful community it was.

“Deaky, Roger and I were out on our run,” Brian started. “We were halfway home when Deaky smelled something, blood. We followed it to the river where we found the fox.”

“And there haven’t been any foxes in this territory for decades,” said Freddie.

“That’s what I said,” Roger added.

“We need to find what skulk he’s from,” Freddie said, ignoring Roger’s remark. “They’re probably looking for him.”

“I don’t think he’s from a skulk.” John stood in the doorway to Freddie’s quarters. “His wounds were made by a wolf.”

“How did a fox get involved with wolves?” Brian asked.

“That’s what we have to find out,” John replied as he stepped inside.

“We?” Freddie asked.

“Freddie, that fox was near death, and it was a wolf that did it. I want to know why.”

“You have a big heart, Deaky,” said Freddie. “But I can’t allow this community to be put in danger over one fox.”

“Jesus, Freddie, he’s still a kit. If anyone’s in danger, it’s him. I’ve never asked you for much. Please Freddie.”

Freddie sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He turned to Roger and Brian, hoping one of them would give him the right answer. But the hawk and the badger remained silent. They had never once turned away a Were in need, but this was a different situation.

“You said a wolf was responsible for his wounds,” said Freddie. “It could still be out there looking for him. Are you sure you want to get involved?”

“I’m already involved,” John replied. “All of us are.”

“I didn’t sign up for getting involved with an aggressive werewolf,” Roger interjected.

“That didn’t stop you from taking that werelion cub,” John replied. “Or Brian saving a wereotter or even you Freddie with the twins.”

“Those were all different circumstances,” said Brian. “None of them involved a wolf.”

“Are you forgetting that _I’m_ a wolf?”

“Deaky, this isn’t personal,” said Brian.

“The Hell it isn’t!” John yelled.

“Alright, enough,” said Freddie. “Let me speak to John alone.”

Brian and Roger left without saying another word.

“What is this really about, Deaky?” Freddie asked once they had gone.

“This isn’t about anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. We have helped dozens if not more, Weres that needed help. The fox was the victim and you’re all acting like he’s the aggressor.”

“Roger said the fox was young,” Freddie said, completely changing subjects. “Probably the same age Josh would have been.”

“Don’t you dare, Freddie.” John’s face became stern, almost stone-like and his pulse began to race. It was taking all the control he had to not attack his best friend. “Don’t you fucking dare! This has _nothing_ to do with them.”

“I’m only trying to understand.”

“What’s there to not understand? He’s hurt and he needs help, help we can provide. What is wrong with that!”

“Nothing, we’re just being cautious.”

“Paranoid is more like it.”

“Where will he stay? The extensions to the living area are still under construction.”

“He can stay with me. I can take care of him and he won’t get in anybody’s way. Please Freddie.”

Freddie sighed once more. “Alright,” he finally agreed. “We’ll nurse him back to health, but he is your responsibility. If he does anything...”

“I highly doubt he will.”

The werefox was still unconscious by the time John returned to his quarters. He was carrying a tray of food and had a leather bag swung over one of his shoulder’s. The female werebadger was still present. She had in his absence hooked up an IV to the fox’s right arm and was currently sitting on the bed.

“Anything?” John asked as he put down the tray and the bag.

She shook her head.

“You can go.”

“Are you sure?”

“If I need any help I’ll ask.”

“Very well. You will need to change his bandages within the hour,” she said as she stood. “I’ll drop by some extra in the morning in case you need them and change out his IV.”

“He’s my responsibility, I’ll do it. But thanks again for all of your help.”

John went to a nearby shelving unit. Settled on the second shelf was rectangular tin container. He opened it and took out a handful of money. He quickly counted the bills and then handed them to the woman.

“Here. It’s not much but it should cover the medical supplies.”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about.”

“Just take it.”

Without another word, she took the money and walked out the door.

After she had left, John sat on his bed next to the boy. He pressed his fingers to the side of his neck. There was a pulse, a strong one, but the fox wouldn’t wake. With a sigh he stood and went to his bathroom, returning shortly with a damp cloth and gently placed it over the fox’s forehead. John then attempted to “talk” to the young fox.

“Can you hear me, young kit?” he asked telepathically. “My name is John, you’re in my home. You’re safe here.”

Nothing.

John took one of the boy’s hands in his, hoping skin on skin contact would help. “It’s going to be alright. No one will hurt you.”

Still silence.

With another sigh, John gave up. He changed the bandages, the fox wasn’t bleeding as much as before, and went about cleaning up his quarters. His living space wasn’t very big; there was a bed, an en-suite bathroom and a small kitchenette that he rarely used for cooking. He also has a tiny library as well as a bass guitar that he hadn’t touched in years.

Finishing his chores, John made himself some tea and grabbed a book. He sat close to the bed so he could keep an eye on the fox. He opened the book and began reading. About halfway through, there was a knock on his door.

“It’s open.”

The door opened and Brian entered.

“How’s he doing?”

“Fine,” John replied, keeping his eyes on his book.

A silence fell over the friends, but it only lasted a couple of moments.

“Look, John,” Brian began. “I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what? Your arrogance or your doubt in my judgment?”

“Deaky.”

“It’s fine, Brian.” John put down the book and faced his fellow Were. “And I’m sorry too. You were all just trying to keep us all safe. We all know how dangerous werewolves are.”

“You’re not dangerous.”

“Thanks. Please tell Roger I’m sorry.”

“You can tell him yourself, we’re headed to the mess for lunch.”

“I grabbed some food earlier. I’m gonna stay here ‘til he wakes up. He’s been through a lot of trauma and I don’t think it will be a good idea if he wakes up alone.”

“Alright then, see you later.”

John went back to his book, but he found he couldn’t concentrate. Why hadn’t the boy woken? John had seen injuries that were much more severe and those Weres recovered within hours. So what was wrong?

Standing, John took the cloth. It was almost completely dry. He had just reached the door to the bathroom when…

“Joe,” said a weak and boyish voice.

“What?” John said verbally. He turned back to look at the fox. He was still unconscious. “Did you say something, young kit?”

“My name is Joe.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the long waited chapter two I hope you are enjoy it. And find me on tumblr at hurricanekat1991

Two days passed before Joe finally awoke. He was disoriented and weak and didn’t recognize where he was. He tried to remember something, anything, but had no memory of how he ended up in an unfamiliar bed.

“Where am I?” he thought to himself.

Taking a slow deep breath, he was hit with the unmistakable scent; wolf. He started to panic; sitting up he was immediately hit with dizziness. It was so intense that he had to lay back down. Covering his eyes with this hand he felt something pulling it. There was a needle in it and it led to a half empty IV bag. Joe then looked over the rest of his body. His leg was wrapped and he felt something above his eye. He reached up to feel another bandage. Joe was bewildered. What kind of wolf would take the time to pity and heal an injured werefox? Wherever he was, it wasn’t a typical wolf pack. The sound of the door opening startled Joe. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man standing in the doorway. His panic returned when he sensed what the man was.

John munched on a piece of toast as he headed back towards his room, a silver colored tray was balanced against his hip. He had made a quick trip to the mess to get some food, stopping to also give Freddie an update on the werefox’s condition. Joe still hasn’t woken and had only “spoken” to him once in the two days he had been there. John had kept trying to “talk” to him, even tried reading his thoughts to get an idea on what had happened to him, but the young fox was keeping his mind closed. John promised himself that if Joe was still unconscious by tomorrow, he would call Anita, the female werebadger. Opening the door, he was greeted with a sight that nearly caused him to drop the tray.

“Joe,” he said with a huge smile. “You’re awake!”

He put down the tray on the table and approached Joe. He didn’t get too close, because he could feel that terror was building inside Joe. He raised his hands to show Joe that he meant him no harm.

“It’s alright, Joe. You’re safe.”

“Where am I?” Joe asked. “And how do you know my name?”

“You’re in my room, and I know your name because you told me.”

“When? I don’t know you!”

Joe started to become frantic. His movements caused him to almost fall from bed.

“Joe calm down,” John said. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

“Stay away from me!” Joe screamed.

“I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“You’re a wolf!”

John backed away, giving Joe some space. He had to rethink his tactic or he would never gain Joe’s trust. He got down on one of his knees to become eye level with Joe, he even let down his guard so the werefox could sense that he was indeed safe.

“I know you’re scared,” John said, his voice low and calm. “But I promise you’re safe and no one is going to hurt you, I won’t allow it.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is John.”

“Why am I here?”

“I found you a couple days ago by the river. You were badly injured and I brought you here to heal you.”

“Wolves, don’t care about others.”

“I’m not like most wolves. Now I need to check your wounds to make sure you didn’t pull them open.”

As soon as he took a step, Joe bared his teeth and growled. His eyes changed from their natural color to a shade of light gold. He was treating to shift.

John growled back, but kept his eyes their normal color. Joe backed down, cowering into the corner of the bed.

“I’m sorry,” John said. “But you're in no condition to be shifting. Now, I am going to sit down and look at your wounds. It’s best you stay calm and still and I will stop as soon as there is any discomfort. Okay?”

He could feel Joe was having an internal debate, but he eventually nodded.

John gingerly sat down on the bed next to Joe. He kept his hands in front so that the fox would trust him. “It’s going to be okay, young kit.”

Joe relaxed once John began to work. His touch was soothing, practically father-like. Joe also calmed when John called him “young kit” for he was slowly starting to remember John’s voice. When John removed the bandage on Joe’s leg, the slight brush of his finger tips against his sensitive flesh caused him to giggle.

“Sorry,” John said. “You’re healing nicely. I was starting to worry. It’s not typical for Weres to heal this slowly.”

“It’s normal for red foxes to not heal as fast as other foxes, and other animals.”

“Like wolves?” John added.

“Like wolves.”

A pregnant pause fell over the two men as John finished looking over Joe. His wounds had healed to the point that he no longer needed any kind of bandage. His skin was reddish and as displayed from earlier, sensitive to touch. John stood from the bed, the used bandages in his hand, and he tossed them into the trash. He walked over to the kitchenette and washed his hands.

He could feel Joe’s eyes on him as well as sensed uneasiness within him.. He felt so sorry for the young boy. Not even three days ago he was near death. John knew he needed to stay calm and collected and to give Joe the space he needed. For the physical injuries were not the only wounds Joe needed to heal from. John wanted to flat out ask what had happened, but he sustained.

Joe’s stomach then growled, loud enough for John to hear it. He giggled as Joe became flushed with embarrassment. John grabbed the tray from earlier.

“Here,” he said, sitting down by Joe once again, placing the tray between them both.

There was only fruit, nuts and some pieces of toasts on the tray.

“It has probably been awhile since you last ate, so it’s best we start you small on certain proteins,” John explained. “At least that is what I’ve been instructed to do.”

Joe sat up slowly, in order to avoid getting dizzy again. His movements caused the sheet to fall and he noticed that he was still naked. He became mortified, quickly covering himself as if he was a teenage girl whose father had just walked in on her.

“You bastard!” Joe yelled in outrage.

“Excuse me?” John was completely taken aback. It took a few seconds for him to realize the source of Joe’s rudeness and immediately understood. He stood once more and picked up a leather bag that he grabbed the day he brought Joe to the compound.

“There are some clothes in here,” he said as he handed the bag to Joe. “A couple of boys about your age said you could have them.”

“You kept me naked!” Joe accused, like he hadn’t heard a word John had spoken.

“It was easier to check your injuries that way. But I swear, I didn’t touch you inappropriately.”

Joe would have continued to argue, but his stomach growled again. Instead he just shoveled food into his mouth.

“Slow down,” John said. “You’re gonna make yourself sick. The food's not gonna go anywhere.”

Joe hesitated for a moment, then slowed his pace.

“See, isn’t that much better?” John asked.

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Joe said as he swallowed a bite of banana.

“I ate earlier.”

Joe nodded and grabbed the last piece of toast. “Why am I here?” he asked after taking a bite.

“I told you, you were injured.”

“That’s not what I mean. Why did you let me live? I meant what I said about wolves not caring for others.”

“And I meant what I said: I’m not like most wolves. Y’know, I’ve been around a long time and you’re the first werefox that I’ve met.”

“Whoopee.”

“Joe, I really don’t appreciate the attitude. I know you’ve been through a traumatic experience and I’m trying to help. So knock it off.”

Joe dropped his toast, and lowered his head. John sensed submissiveness coming from the fox. He took one on Joe’s hands and he was trembling.

“Joe, feel me,” John said telepathically. “Focus on my emotions. Do you sense any danger?”

Joe shook his head.

“Look at me,” John said out loud.

Joe raised his head. His eyes glistened with tears. John felt sorry. He grabbed a tissue of the nearby table and wiped away the tears.

“Will you trust me?”

Joe nodded. “Um, I’m, I’m done.”

“Of course.” John put the tray aside.

“I need to pee.”

“The bathroom is through that door. You can shower too if you like, and I have an extra toothbrush, it’s the green one.”

Joe stood, grabbing both the bag and the sheet to keep himself covered. He was unsteady, but only for a moment. John looked away out of respect for Joe’s privacy.

Locking the door to the bathroom, Joe finally felt safe. A funny feeling, seeing as a locked door would not give protection if John became hostile. But the barrier gave Joe some ease. Dropping the sheet, he quickly relieved himself in the small bathroom and turned on the shower.

While the water heated up, Joe opened the bag and looked through the clothes. They were decent and looked like they would fit him. He took a closer look at his body. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he was in the bedroom of a strange werewolf. Joe had been around wolves all his life and he learned to be cautious around them. So far, this John was being nothing but kind.

Joe let out a sigh of relief as the warm water hit his body. As he scrubbed away three days of grime, he debated about telling John what happened. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Were asked. A werewolf, of anyone who could have saved him, why did it have to be a werewolf? This wasn’t going to be easy.

On the other hand, John was being nice. He could have let him die by that river, but instead he chose to save him. He was also attractive; his voice was sweet and had a cute gap between his teeth. Joe nearly punched himself. Where the Hell did those thoughts come from? He needed to get out of here, and fast.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose shirt, Joe returned to the bedroom. He saw that the bed had been both changed and made. A woman was also there. She had red hair with a few streaks of gray and she was talking to John.

“John?” he said in a small voice.

“Joe, this is Anita. She’s a friend and one our healers. She would like to examine you, if that’s alright?”

“I guess.”

Anita smiled sweetly and guided Joe to the bed.

“John was right,” Anita said while she looked over Joe’s leg. “You healed very well. You did an excellent job, John.”

“Thank you.”

“You should consider yourself lucky, Joe,” Anita continued. “Not many encounter a werewolf and live. What happened anyway?”

Joe swallowed and began to shake. John sensed Joe’s discomfort and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Anita, thanks again for everything, but I think it’s best you leave now.”

“Hmm?” Anita looked up. She was so focused on her task at hand that she didn’t notice how upset he was. “Oh, I’m, I’m sorry,” she stammered and she stood gathering her belongings. She was then out the door.

“I’m sorry about that,” John said.

Joe had calmed down a little, but was still edgy. “I guess I can’t blame her for being curious,” he said. “We all are, even me. But I wasn’t going to ask you like that.”

“Good, because I don’t want to talk about it,” Joe said with venom.

“Right.”

John shifted uncomfortable on his feet. He was off to a bad start and he wasn’t sure how to make it better. Maybe giving Joe some time to himself would gain his trust. He quickly gathered some things and shoved them into a bag.

“Look Joe, I have some work I need to do,” he said. “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. Will you be okay here by yourself?”

Joe shrugged.

“Right,” John said again. “Well, I’ll be back.”

Joe stared at the back of the door for a few minutes. He stood and looked around the room. John hardly owned much. He had many books, but Joe didn’t find any of them interesting. The majority of them were about electrical stuff.

Joe caught sight of a bass guitar. It was slick and very beautiful. Joe couldn’t resist picking it up. It was heavy, but Joe could hold it without much trouble. Joe always wanted to learn an instrument, maybe John could teach him if he asked. What was he thinking, he couldn’t stay here. He didn’t even know where _here_ was.

Putting the bass back, Joe threw himself back on the bed. He was exhausted and fell back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He wasn’t asleep for two seconds before he was plagued by terrifying images.

_Joe huddled in the corner. His leg was on fire and something, possibly blood, was dripping into his eye. He needed to stand, tried to, but his leg wouldn’t allow it, all he could do was watch. A middle-aged man, about six feet tall, attacked a boy not much younger than Joe._

“ _John!” he screamed. “Leave him alone!”_

_Joe found the strength to stand and threw himself at the man. He managed to knock them both to the cold and hard floor._

_The man snarled as she stood. He grabbed Joe by the throat and growled. His eyes were gold and his breath stunk of blood and flesh. “This is more than you deserve, you_ _disgusting fox,” he spat._

_Joe was then thrown across the room. The man then resumed his attack on the other boy._

“ _Joe!” the boy screamed._

“ _John!”_

“Joe, Joe, wake up.”

Joe was deep asleep, thrashing about in John’s bed. John stood over him, shaking him by the shoulders.

“Leave him alone! John!”

“Joe, it’s okay. I’m right here.” He shook Joe a little harder.

Joe awoke with a scream. He threw himself into John’s arms, wrapping his arms around his neck. The wolf held him close, allowing the fox to cry.

“It’s going to be okay, Joe,” John soothed.

Joe continued sobbing.

John’s heart broke for the little fox. If he ever found the wolf who did this, they were a dead Were. He carded his fingers through Joe’s hair; Freddie was right, he was about Josh’s age, if Josh was still alive. John pushed those thoughts aside, now wasn’t the time for that. This wasn’t about him, this was about Joe.

“Joe, I know you don’t want to talk about what happened,” John said. “But you are going to have to, and when you're ready, I’ll listen.”

Joe nodded and pushed himself away and wiped his face. “What are you doing back so soon?”

“Soon? Joe, I’ve been gone for almost five hours.”

“Oh,” Joe became a little embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t intend to be away this long, but when I get caught up in my work, it’s easy to lose track of time.”

“Where were you, anyway?

“In the lower level.”

“Lower level? What is this place, anyway?”

“I’ll show you.”

  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Joe was in awe as John showed him around the Were community. He saw thousands of people going about their day. Some gave him strange looks where others completely ignored him. John stayed close to Joe throughout and he had to give a few Weres a warning glare if they were staring at Joe or whispering about him. Joe was right about John being aggressive if provoked.

“What is this place?” Joe asked.

“We call it Rhapsody,” John replied.

“And we’re underground?”

“Yep, about ten point six miles.”

“How big is this place?”

“There are three levels. We are currently on the main level. You’ll find the majority of the living spaces, eating areas and a nest of small businesses.”

“What do you do here?”

“I keep this place going,” John replied with a proud smile.

Joe’s brow furred with confusion. “Huh?”

John pointed up to the ceiling. “You see all the lights? On the third level is all of the electrical equipment that keeps this place running.”

“So you are like Scotty around here. Where did you find power for this?”

“I built most of it. That generator you’re standing next to, it took me almost a month to construct and almost another month to get it to function properly. Before the war, I was an electrical engineer. I built more machines than I am willing to count. ”

“That explains the books.”

“Books?”

“I’m sorry, I looked around your things, but I didn’t touch anything.” Joe purposely kept the fact that he did touch John’s bass to himself. Wolves are territorial, about everything, and Joe didn’t want to make John upset.

The tour continued, Joe received some strange looks from residence and John pulled him close. The werefox felt a tingle sensation at the wolf’s touch. It was probably nothing, but Joe hoped that John didn't notice it. Joe then heard some laughter, and following the sound, he saw a small group of children playing. A smile appeared on Joe’s face as he watched them,

“Not everyone here is a wolf,” Joe observed.

“That’s correct, in fact I am the only wolf of my breed here,” John explained. “After the last war, this place was founded. Hundreds of Weres flocked here for survival and safety, and everyone here believes that we all equal regardless of animal. I also live by that philosophy.”

“But you’re a wolf.”

“And you’re a fox,” John replied nonchalantly. “Now that we have stated the obvious, let’s keep going.”

John showed Joe everything and everyplace of Rhapsody. He wanted to avoid the third level, but after Joe consistently badgered him, he caved. John wouldn’t admit it, but Joe was adorable. He couldn’t help but smile at Joe’s childlike amazement over the power generators. He wasn’t acting at all like someone who had been recently attacked. Joe had a free spirit and John was finding it appealing.

John was so deep in his own thoughts, that he didn’t hear that Joe was asking him a question.

“John?”

“I’m sorry Joe, what were you saying?”

“I was wondering why are we underground? Why not buy out a mortal neighborhood or a redevelopment project?”

“We have found that it’s best, for both Weres and mortals, to keep our distance. There are however, a few mortal neighborhoods close by that many of us go to for work. I do most of the electrical stuff and they pay pretty decent too. It was how I was able to build most of the equipment.”

Joe had just opened his mouth to ask a question when his stomach growled. He clasped both his arms around his middle, as if it would silence the sound.

“Let’s head back up. It’s almost lunch time and it sounds like you need it.”

In the twenty-five years John had lived in Rhapsody, he had never been able to figure out why lunch was always the busiest meal time. It never ceased to amaze him that every Were would pack themselves into the mess hall. It was why he normally ate in his room, but today he felt for Joe’s sake, that being around others was best. It highly likely that Rhapsody would become Joe’s new home.

John wasn’t hungry, but still grabbed something. Joe on the other hand, loaded his plate as if he wouldn’t ever eat again. John bit the inside of his check so that he wouldn’t upset Joe by laughing. He could remember fondly how he used to have quite the appetite when he was younger.

Once they had gotten their food, John was about to take Joe back to his room when he spotted Brian and Roger. They were sitting at a far table, just the two of them, talking. John felt guilty, seeing as he had blown them off the last few days.

“Joe, would it be alright if I introduced you to some friends of mine?”

Joe just nodded.

John put his arm around Joe and guided him towards his friends. The fox didn’t seem to mind it earlier, so he figured it would be okay to do so again. He found comfort in keeping Joe close to him.

Brian and Roger were in the midst of a conversation, so they didn’t notice John and Joe approach the table.

“Hey guys,” John said.

“John, hey,” Brian said with a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” John replied.

He sat down, Joe sitting close to him.

“I see our fox is awake,” said Roger.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” said John. “Joe, this is Brian and Roger.

“Hello,” Joe said quietly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Joe,” said Brian.

Joe nodded and looked down.

John watched as Joe just picked at his food. He reached out and rubbed his shoulder.

“You don’t need to be afraid of them,” he said telepathically. “They’re my friends and you’re just as safe with them as you are with me.”

Instead of using words, Joe replied with feelings.

Sensing calmness and trust, John smiled as he removed his hand.

“We missed you on our runs the past couple of days,” said Roger.

“It wasn’t my intent to miss them, but I was preoccupied.”

“Runs?” Joe asked in a confused tone.

“Every morning, Brian, Roger and I shift and go for a run, or in Roger’s case fly, in the woods,” John replied.

“It’s how we found you,” Roger added. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“You were almost dead when we found you. What the Hell happened to you, anyways?”

Joe dropped his fork.

“Seriously, Roger?” Brian scolded. “Forgive him Joe, Roger has the tendency to speak without thinking.”

“It’s an honest question,” Roger said in his defense.

“He doesn’t wish to talk about it,” said John.

“I’ll be right back,” Joe said standing from the table.

“Don’t go too far, please,” John said. “I don’t want you to get lost.”

When Joe was out of earshot, John looked at Roger with a glare.

“That was completely unacceptable Roger,” he said with hostility. “You better apologize when he gets back.”

Roger’s jaw dropped and looked at Brian.

“Don’t look at me, I’m with Deaky,” replied the werebadger. “You were very rude.”

“So, what then? We’re just gonna wait ‘til he wants to talk about?”

“Exactly,” John answered. “I sometimes wonder why I’m friends with you.”

“Cause your life would be boring without me,” Roger replied.

“Doubtful.”

John looked down at his plate and started stabbing his untouched food with his fork. Brian and Roger had returned to their original conversation, but he was too appalled to listen. He just didn’t understand Roger, understand his thinking, at times. There had been countless occasions when John had been embarrassed to be called Roger’s friend, and this was another one. John looked over his shoulder to find Joe and wondered how much more the young fox would be subjected to.

Finding an empty corner, Joe braced himself against the wall and took a few deep breaths. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He closed his eyes tight as the frightening memories raced through his mind.

“Johnny,” he whispered, a tear running down his cheek.

He knew that he would have to eventually tell the truth, but how? Maybe he could tell a half truth, just enough to stop the questions.

“Are you okay?”

Joe opened his eyes to see a boy not much older than himself. He looked at Joe with concern. Whomever he was, he was some kind of canine, but not a wolf.

“You’re that fox John brought here, are you?”

“Yes, do you know John?”

The Were nodded. “He’s a friend. What did you say your name was?”

“My name is Joe.”

“Well, Joe, welcome to Rhapsody. What do you think of our home?”

“It’s huge, I’ve never been around this many Weres, or Weres that are this diverse. It’s kinda overwhelming.”

“You’ll get used to it. In no time at all, this will feel like home. Unless you have a home to go back to.”

Here we go, Joe thought. “No… no I don’t,” he said. “My family is dead.”

“Oh. I’m… I’m sorry,” the boy stammered. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know, they’ve been dead a long time,” Joe paused, but only for a moment. “I should get going, John’s probably getting worried. Bye.”

Joe scurried off before the fellow Were could ask anymore questions. His thoughts were a garbled mess. If he was going to lie about everything, he needed more to his story then just saying his family was dead. John knew he was attacked by a wolf; he couldn’t lie about that, but everything else was a clean slate.

John tapped his fingers on the table. It had been fifteen minutes since Joe had left. He saw him talking to one of the twins, but lost him after that. If he wasn’t back in five minutes, John was going to go look for him.

“Deaky, calm down,” said Brian. “He’s fine.”

“What makes you sure?” John asked.

“Because he’s right behind you.”

John turned around and saw Brian was right. Joe was headed back to the table, another tray in his hands. Sitting back down beside John, the wolf was surprised by the amount of sweets on the tray.

“Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?” he asked.

Joe just shrugged. “I like chocolate,” he said followed by shoving half of a brownie in his mouth.

“Clearly,” said John.

“Have you introduced Joe to Freddie yet?” asked Brian.

“No, I haven’t had the chance to.”

“Who’s Freddie?” Joe asked between mouthfuls of chocolate cake and ice cream. “Your leader?”

“We don’t really have a leader. Freddie helped bring many of us together when the war ended,” John explained.

“Freddie was the one who allowed Deaky to take care of you?” Roger added.

“Deaky?”

“Their stupid nickname for me. My last name’s Deacon.”

“If it’s stupid, just ask us to stop using it,” said Roger.

“Will you?”

“No,” Roger replied with a smirk.

“Well I think I will stick to calling you John,” added Joe.

John nodded. “I’ll probably take Joe to meet Freddie when we’re done with lunch.”

Joe just stayed quiet. He didn’t want to meet anymore people right now, but it was better to just get it over with.

After another round of dessert, Joe and John were on their way to meet Freddie. Brian and Roger offered to attend, but John turned them down. The fox was wishing the wolf hadn’t done that, seeing as he was nervous enough about meeting whomever this Freddie was. Without thinking, Joe encircled his fingers around John’s wrist. John just smiled at him and pulled him closer.

They soon came to a semi-opened door. John gently knocked, probably not wanting to open the door more without permission.

“It’s open,” came a soft masculine voice that Joe assumed was Freddie’s.

John pushed the door open and led Joe inside. He stayed hidden behind the wolf like a small, shy child.

Freddie’s quarters were huge compared to John’s. There was a full furniture set and desk and a grand piano that caught Joe’s eye as soon as they entered. Joe could also sense the presence of a feline, maybe that was the kind of Were Freddie was.

Peering around John, he saw two men. One was sitting behind the desk, Joe figured that was Freddie, for the second person was the young boy Joe had met in the mess hall.

“Hey Freddie,” said John.

“Deaky, darling,” Freddie said with a huge smile as he stood. “How are you today?”

He then glided over to John and kissed both of his cheeks. Joe was a little taken aback but this behavior. Were John and Freddie dating, were they married? If so, why was John living in a crammed hole in the wall while Freddie was living in a palace?

“I’m good, and I have someone for you to meet. Joe, this is Freddie.”

Joe reluctantly stepped out from hiding behind John.

Freddie smiled again and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joe.”

Joe stayed silent as he shook Freddie’s hand.

“What am I, chopped liver?” asked Freddie’s guest.

“Joe, this is Sami,” said Freddie.

“We’ve met,” Joe replied.

“Have we?” asked Sami.

Joe was confused. Did he really not remember? It wasn’t even an hour since they talked. “Yes, in the mess hall. I was having a panic attack and you asked me if I was okay.”

“I think you’re confusing me with someone else.”

Joe was getting furious. “No, I’m not,” he spat. “It was you.”

“No, it was me,” came an identical voice.

Snapping his head over to the door, Joe did a double take. Everyone aside from John started to laugh. Joe lowered his head to the floor, feeling ashamed. He soon felt a pair of arms wrap around him. It was John. The wolf pulled the fox into an embrace and lovingly rubbed circles in the middle of his back.

“Freddie, please,” he said.

“My apologies, Joe,” Freddie replied. “That’s Rami, Sami’s twin.”

“I’m sorry too, Joe,” Rami said as he entered the room. “But you ran off before I could introduce myself.”

“I’m going to take him back to my quarters,” said John. “It was a mistake to bring him here. It’s clear he isn’t ready for so much excitement.”

“No,” Joe said as he pulled out of John’s embrace. He was flushed and his eyes were red.

“Are you sure?”

Joe sniffed and wiped his nose. “It’s fine. I overreacted, and was just surprised.”

“Most people are when they see we’re twins,” said Rami.

“Here you go, Joe,” Sami said as he handed the fox a tissue.

“Thanks,” he said as he took it. “Sami?”

“Sami,” he replied with a nod.

“It will take awhile for me to tell you two apart.”

“But we can do that later,” Freddie interjected. “Right now I’d like to speak to Joe, alone.”

“I don’t think so,” spoke John.

“John.”

“No, Freddie.”

Freddie sighed. “Boys, will you please stay here with Joe? John and I need to talk, privately.”

Both Freddie and John then disappeared behind a nearby door.

“Oh Freddie’s going to get it now,” Rami whispered to his brother, who in turn laughed at his twin’s joke. Rami then looked over at Joe. “You might as well get comfortable, this could take awhile. John can be very intimidating when he wants to be.”

Joe sat down. He really didn’t have much to say, at least not yet. He needed to think about what he was going to tell everyone, and make it believable. 

He began to feel a rock forming in his stomach; he was regretting that second helping of ice cream, but he felt that he couldn’t just blame the dairy.

“Are you okay?” asked one of the twins, Joe wasn’t sure which one.

“Too much dessert and lunch. I’m a little lactose intolerant.”

“Do you need something?”

“I think I’m okay. I’ll let you know if that changes.” Joe swallowed, both his nerves and some bile. “So, what do you guys do for fun when you live underground?”

“Well, the two of us, plus Ben, do yard work and clean pools at the mortal neighborhood. It’s not fun, necessarily, but we get paid well and then use the money to buy clothes and other stuff. Maybe you can help us too, sometime. Those mortals are pretty wealthy.”

“Maybe, who’s Ben?”

“He’s a werelion about our age,” said the other twin, Sami maybe. “He’s a blue-eyed blond who uses his looks and charm on the rich lonely widows to get bigger tips.”

“Really?”

“It’s not like that. Ben only sleeps with Roger.”

“Sami!”

“What? It’s no secret that those two fool around.”

“Well, we don’t need to blurt it out,” said Rami. “Sorry about that, Joe.”

Joe nodded with an uncomfortable smile. His gaze drifted to the door John went behind with Freddie and secretly hoped they, or at least John, would come back soon. 

As soon as the door to Freddie’s bedroom was closed, John was upon him, raving like a lunatic.

“Deaky, you are overreacting” Freddie said once the wolf had finished his rant.

“I’m doing no such thing,” John replied. He had his arms crossed and his body language was stern. “That boy has been through enough and I will not allow him to be subject to interrogation.”

“Interrogation, there will be no interrogation.”

“Damn it, Freddie, I know you, and I know how you get. You’re going to grill that boy until he cracks, and I will not have it. So far, both Roger and Anita have asked him and he was near hysterical. You want to ask him questions, you will ask them with me present. Is that clear?”

“Well, it looks like I have no choice,” Freddie said.

“Good, because you don’t.”

Returning to the main room, the adults saw that the boys were still talking. John smiled at that, he was happy that Joe was making friends his own age. Once Joe saw John, he jumped up from where he was sitting and threw his arms around John.

“Whoa!” John said as he nearly lost his balance. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Joe replied innocently. “I just missed you.”

“Looks like you have a shadow, Deaky,” said Freddie.

John rolled his eyes. “Do you wanna go back to my room?” he asked, ignoring his friend.

“Kinda, but…”

“Joe, you don’t have to.” The wolf knew why the fox was wanting to stay. “You can wait until you're ready.”

“I know I can, but if I don’t everyone will keep asking. So I’d rather tell you all what happened and not talk about it again.”

“That’s perfectly fine, isn’t it, Freddie?” John said, giving his friend the eye.

“Of course.”

Everyone took their time getting comfortable. Joe said that Roger and Brian could be present, and they were currently crammed into Freddie’s front room. John purposely sat by Joe so he could offer the young fox support if needed. He could sense the nervous energy being emitted from the boy. He took one of Joe’s hands.

“It’s okay, young kit,” he assured telepathically. “I’m right here. Just take deep breaths and go slow.”

Joe took the wolf’s advice and began. “I don’t know who it was who attacked me or why. Yes, it was a wolf, but I have never encountered it before. I was just out hunting, not knowing I was being hunted.”

“Why were you hunting alone?” asked Freddie.

“I’ve been on my own for years. My family was killed when I was young, by a wolf.”

“Possibly the same wolf that attacked you?” Freddie asked.

Joe shrugged.

Freddie looked at John. “Deaky?”

“Wolves won’t attack unless provoked. For example, if a non-wolf or another wolf happens to wander into a wolf’s territory. But a random attack? I’m not sure.”

“What about your old pack?”

John’s pulse quickened at the mere mention of them. “What about them?” he said sternly.

“You once said that members of your old pack have attacked in this manor,” said Freddie. “Is it possible one of them did this?”

“I don’t think so, I would have recognized the scent. I didn’t. But we’re not talking about me, I’m sorry Joe. You may continue.”

“There’s nothing more to say,” replied Joe.

“Nothing more at all?” asked Freddie.

Joe shook his head.

“You said your family was dead. What about a skulk, were you at least part of one?”

“No, it was always just my parents. I don’t want to answer any more questions.”

“But...”

“Enough, Freddie,” John said as he stood. “I’m going to take Joe back to my room.”

John wrapped his arm around Joe once the fox had stood, and they both left Freddie’s room. As they walked back to John’s room, he gazed over at Joe and hated what he saw. The poor boy looked awful and John was upset, mostly with Freddie. For he did exactly what John feared he would do. He would definitely have to have a word with him, again.

Entering John’s room, Joe threw himself on John’s bed and fell asleep. John didn’t blame the young boy for being exhausted, he would have been too if he was in the same situation. He sat down gingerly so that he wouldn’t wake Joe and ran his fingers through his hair. The wolf wouldn’t say it aloud, but he had a feeling that Joe wasn’t completely honest about his attack. His nightmare from earlier was another indication.

“I’m so sorry, young kit,” he whispered.

As John tried to stand, he heard Joe mumble, “stay.”

With no sound at all, John laid down next to the werefox. As he got himself comfortable, Joe snuggled up to him. Pulling him close, John rubbed circles in the middle of Joe’s back. Out of nowhere he placed a kiss on top of the fox’s head and within seconds, the wolf had fallen asleep. Neither the wolf or fox were aware of the bond that was slowly forming. 

  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi Y'all, sorry this chapter took so long, but so far it is the longest chapter and I wanted it to be just right. Enjoy

John crawled backwards out of the opened shaft and straightened up. He remained sitting on his knees in case he had to crawl back inside. Grease was smeared on his face, hands and clothes, but it was all part of the job and he was never going to take it for granted.

“Try it now!” he shouted.

There was a click, followed by a low hum that slowly became louder, then finally, boom. The power was back and was running smoothly.

“And then there was light,” John muttered to himself as he closed the hatch to the generator.

Standing, he walked over to a nearby workbench and grabbed a rag. He wiped the majority of the grease off his hands and face.

“What was the problem?” Roger asked as he came around a corner. He too had some grease over his face and clothes, but it was not as much as John had.

“A blown fuse,” John replied. He held the defected fuse up to show the werehawk and then dropped it in the trash bin by the bench.

“Is that all?” Roger said surprised.

“Yes, that’s all.” John replied, mocking Roger’s higher pitched voice. “And next time, Roger, will you please call me before you try to fix something?”

“Hey, we need to get the extension finished,” Roger protested. “And I didn’t blow anything up.”

“Not yet,” John said, throwing down the rag.

“Ha, ha, ha,” Roger said sarcastically.

Glancing down at his watch, John saw that it was almost five. Dinner would be in an hour and he wanted to shower and change beforehand. He began cleaning up his stuff on and around the workbench. He wasn’t going to be going down to the lower level for the next couple of days but things still needed to run smoothly in his absence. Especially if it was Roger who would be in charge.

“So, how’s your fox?” Roger asked.

“Will you _please_ stop calling him that?” John stressed. If being called “Deaky” wasn’t bad enough, Roger had developed the habit of calling Joe his fox. “Joe is fine.”

It had been several weeks since John and his friends found the injured fox, and in that time, Joe had come a long way. He wasn’t timid as much and had formed a close friendship with Rami and his brother. Joe still wanted to spend time with John and the wolf didn’t mind. He didn’t realize how much John missed having someone needing him for something ‘til Joe came into his life. Unfortunately, the poor boy was still having nightmares.

Roger hummed.

“Alright, out with it.” John said as he crossed his arms

“Out with what?” Roger asked with innocence.

“Roger, I’ve known you for over fifty years. I know when you have something on your mind, now out with it.”

“You know that boy has a crush on you.”

“Who? Joe?”

“No, Gwil. _Yes_ , Joe. He’s obsessed with you.”

John couldn’t help but laugh. Joe liking him? Ridiculous. “Roger, your imagination never ceases to amaze me.”

“Laugh if you wish, but that boy is in love with you.”

“Whatever you say.” John was no longer paying attention as he went back to cleaning up his work space.

“The full moon’s coming up,” Roger said, changing the subject. “I know, I can feel it.”

“Why don’t you ask Joe to come?”

“I don’t think he’s ready for that.”

“Not ready to celebrate being a Were?” Roger asked, his voice filled with confusion.

“Not ready for so much excitement,” John explained. “He was on his own for a long time. Who knows how he will handle so many Weres shifting and drinking and going completely crazy.”

“Just take him for a run in the woods. He doesn’t have to participate in anything too wild like an orgy.”

“No, I’ll leave that to you.”“Whatever you say.” John was no longer paying attention as he went back to cleaning up his work space.

Roger blew a raspberry.

“Real mature, Roger,” John retorted. “I’m headed up, please don’t mess with anything too major.”

Joe was laying on his stomach on a small twin bed. He currently had his nose buried in a book he was borrowing from Rami’s girlfriend, Lucy. It was a sappy romance about a teenage girl who falls in love with someone she shouldn’t, but it was a good read. He had not been given a place of his own yet, so he was bouncing between John’s place and the twins’. If it was up to him, he would permanently live with John.

He would lie if he was asked, but he was developing a crush on the werewolf. John was being nothing but kind to him. He always made time for him; he let Joe sleep in his quarters when he didn’t want to stay with the twins, but most of all, John made him feel wanted for the first time in a very long time.

Turning the page, Joe heard the door open. He looked up to see the twins enter. They were out with Ben doing some landscaping for a few mortals. Joe was asked to come, but he didn’t feel ready yet. Their skin was glistened with sweat and Sami was chugging a large water bottle.

“I cannot wait for the full moon,” Sami said as he closed the door.

It took awhile, but the fox had learned to tell the twins apart. Sami was a tad tubbier than Rami and their voices weren’t as identical as one would think. They weren’t wolves either, despite Joe sensing canine in them when he first met the twins. They were jackals, and there was a difference.

“I know,” Rami replied. “It will be epic since it is also a blue moon. Hey, Joe.”

“Hey. How was the yard work?”

“It went great. We got two hundred bucks to split between the three of us,” said Rami. “You should come with us next time.”

Joe shrugged. “Maybe. How much extra did Ben get?”

“Whatever is his, he unfortunately never shares it with us,” Sami replied. “What are you reading?”

“A book Lucy loaned me. It’s cheesy, poorly written and predictable, but it passes the time.” Joe closed the book and sat up. “What’s happening on the full moon?”

Rami exchanged a confused look with his twin who in turn shrugged. “John hasn’t talked to you about it?”

Joe shook his head.

“On every full moon the entire community comes together to celebrate. Did you ever do anything special with your family when the moon was full?”

“No. Why would we?”

“Don’t foxes feel the urge to shift during that time?”

“Not that I have ever noticed. How do you celebrate?”

“With a ton of food, live music and a huge bonfire. Freddie always starts the celebration with legend on how the Weres came to be,” Rami explained.

“Where do you celebrate it?”

“On the surface. We begin as soon as the sun has completely set and the moon is dead center in the sky. Whoever chooses to attend- which like I said, is usually everyone - gathers around Freddie and he tells the story. The bonfire is lit and we feast, and at midnight we all shift and go for a run in the woods. There is also music and many like to dance. It’s always a lot of fun and you should come. You’re a part of this community now, think about it.”

Joe wasn’t sure what he thought or felt about this full moon celebration. It sounded like a Pagan festival, all that was missing was a virgin sacrifice. He had never participated in anything like that.

Coming up to the door to John’s quarters, Joe knocked. A few seconds passed and Joe didn’t receive an answer. He was confused; John should have been home by now and dinner was soon. He knocked again and received silence. Worried something might be wrong, Joe opened the door and entered.

“John,” he called out.

The sounds of water running caught the fox’s ear. Joe relaxed when he realized John was just in the shower. Joe debated between leaving and waiting for John to finish. He then heard something, something like humming. No, it wasn’t humming, it was singing, John was singing. Joe didn’t know John could sing, and he was curious to what the song was.

The fox crept quietly up to the bathroom door that was opened ajar. Reaching it, Joe caught a glimpse of John – he didn’t realize the shower was that close to the door. The fox covered his mouth to silence a gasp as he immediately looked away, his heart pounded so loud he could hear it in his ears. He had never seen John without his clothes. The wolf hadn’t shifted much except for his morning runs and Joe was still asleep when those happened.

Joe took a moment to settle himself. It was an accident, he wanted to hear John’s singing and he didn’t mean to see him. He knew he should leave and give John his privacy, but his curiosity got the best of him and he slowly turned back around. It took a bit for his vision to focus through the steam and water-logged glass door. Joe could still hear John singing, but no longer cared what the song was.

The fox could feel his skin becoming warm, his mouth went from dry to overly moist. John was beautiful; he was by no means ripped, but he was slim and lean. His arms and shoulders were muscular and his legs looked to be strong. Probably the result of building machines and running, and wolves in general had strong physiques. His skin was nearly flawless, but he had a few scars along his arms and legs.

As the water poured over John’s body, Joe closed his eyes, fantasizing about being under that spray.

_Joe was pinned between the glass door and John's body. His skin was warm and flushed and he moaned as he wolf’s larger hands caressed his body and trailed kisses up and down his neck. Joe caressed John’s back, his skin was rough and coarse, a complete contradiction to Joe’s own. The sensation of John’s erection brushing against his own was overwhelming. The fox was close to coming undone and if John continued his touches, he would._

The sound of the water turning off broke Joe out of his trance. He panicked; the last thing he wanted was for John to catch him spying on him. He ran for the door and left.

Entering the mess hall, John was surprised to see that Joe was already there. He was sitting at a table alone, just pushing the food around. Something had to be bothering the young fox, for Joe never ate his meals without at least himself present and he wasn’t eating. John grabbed a sandwich and some tea and rushed over to Joe.

“Joe, are you okay?” he asked with concern.

Joe looked up and John received an answer, Joe was not okay. He was clearly upset about something. His face had a worried expression and his eyes were glossy. He was trying not to cry.

John sat down across from Joe and took one of his hands. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Joe replied in a tiny voice. He went back to looking down and poked his untouched food with his fork.

“Joe, I can tell something is bothering you, now what is it?”

“I, um,” Joe stammered. “Why didn’t you tell me about the full moon?”

A sense of relief washed over the wolf. So that was what was bothering Joe. “It wasn’t my intent to keep it from you,” he said. “I just wasn’t sure if you would be ready to attend something like that. Who told you about it?”

“The twins.”

“I see. Do you want to go?”

“I don’t know. It sounds interesting, but isn’t it dangerous with mortals so close by?”

John shook his head. “The woods are too far from anyone and seeing as we don’t shift until midnight, the majority of them are already asleep.”

“Were you going to go?”

John shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s the same thing every time.”

“If you go, then I’ll go.”

“Alright. The full moon is not for a couple of days, I’ll let you know before then.”

Joe nodded and began eating.

John started eating as well, but he could sense there was still something on Joe’s mind. Not wanting to press is, he changed the subject. “I’m happy that you and the twins are getting along.”

“Me too,” Joe replied between bites of his food. “They’ve been kind and friendly and have made me feel welcome, like you. The other day, Sami told me how Freddie found them when they were still babies and brought them here. Ben told me Roger did the same thing with him. It looks like Brian is the only one who wasn’t brought home a lost Were.”

“He has, actually,” John replied. “A boy named Gwil. He’s very shy and doesn’t go out much. Maybe you could help him with that, I’ll talk to Brian.”

“Do I need to dress up for the full moon? If we go, that is?”

“No. You can wear whatever you’ll be comfortable in. What else did the twins tell you about the full moon?”

“That everyone goes, there’s a bonfire and that Freddie tells the story of the Weres.”

“Freddie does enjoy the spotlight. He seeks it out whenever he can.”

“Are you and Freddie together?” Joe blurted.

John was shocked; he started to choke on his food. No one has ever asked him a question like that. He didn’t even like Freddie in that way. They were friends, and nothing more.

“Are you okay?” Joe asked, panicked.

John nodded and he took a few sips of his tea. “Wrong pipe,” he said, holding his breath. “Why would you think Freddie and I are together?”

Joe shrugged. “The way he is with you. He kisses you and calls you darling.”

“Freddie is like that with everyone, it’s just who he is,” the wolf assured. “Besides, Freddie hasn’t been interested in anyone like that since he lost his husband.”

“Oh,” Joe replied. “I’m sorry if I offended you. Have your runs been nice?”

“They’ve been nice. In all honesty, I only go on them to humor Roger and Brian.”

“Why doesn’t Freddie ever go with you?”

John sighed. It was an innocent question, but the wolf wasn’t sure if he should be the one sharing Freddie’s personal business. However, if he and Joe were to attend the full moon celebration, he would still be curious. “Freddie can’t shift anymore. He lost his powers in the war.”

“Freddie fought in the war?”

“We all did. Freddie, Brian, Roger and myself.”

Joe’s jaw was practically on the ground. “If you fought in the war, that would make you...”

“A hundred and sixty years old,” John finished as he looked over himself. “I still look pretty good.”

After finishing dinner, the fox accompanied the wolf back to his quarters. They played a few games of cards, John had been teaching him gin and spades. And then went to bed.

Tossing for the umpteenth time, Joe gave up on trying to sleep. He was exhausted, but he couldn’t sleep, his mind raced with thousands of different thoughts changing at lightning speed. He was more confused now than he ever was. John and Freddie weren’t together, so why were things less clear? He shouldn’t have peeked at John in the shower, he was regretting it now.

Joe brought the pillow to his nose and took a deep breath; Earth, soil mixed with pine needles and a hint of grease. As John’s scent flowed through, the fox was reminded of a conversation he had with his mother. He was young, seven maybe, when he asked her what love was. She told him that love is the most beautiful gift in the world, and if you love someone and if they loved you in return, nothing in the world can stop you. Joe then asked how he would know if he found love? She said when he met the right person, he would know.

Hearing movement, Joe peeked over the side of the bed. John was dead asleep; he had his back to the bed, curled up on the small makeshift bed, his head resting on the bent arm. John looked to be at peace. There was no sign of stress on his face or in his body, no worry of the need to keep Rhapsody going. He was absolutely gorgeous.

For some reason, that night John was shirtless and Joe’s eyes lingered longingly over the wolf's body. Reaching out, Joe’s fingertips were mere inches away from touching John’s bare shoulder blade when he stirred. Joe pulled his hand back as if it had been burned, and hugged the pillow as if it were a lifesaver. His mother was right; he didn’t have a crush on John.

He loved him.

With a silent huff, Joe turned away. Who cares what his feelings were, John wouldn’t want him. It didn’t matter that he wanted to feel the wolf’s skin against his own, to actually smell his scent instead of what was lingering on the bedspread. But he was a fox, and foxes weren’t good enough for anyone, especially wolves.

The Full Moon

“We’re going to head up, Joe,” Rami said. “Do you wanna come?”

“You guys go ahead,” Joe replied. He was lounging on his bed, reading. “John’s gonna come get me when finishes in the lower levels.”

“Okay. Let’s go, bro,” said Sami.

“Give me a second, I wanna talk to Joe. I’ll catch up.”

Sami left without another word.

“What’s up?” Joe asked as put down the book. He was confused as to why Rami was staying behind.

“Look, Joe,” Rami began. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Sami, but I wanted to warn you. John has a lot of emotional baggage and I want you to protect your heart.”

Joe didn’t know what to say, he was bewildered. He thought that had done a decent job keeping his feelings hidden. Clearly he was wrong. Terror began to creep into his vein, if Rami knew, did others, did John? He needed to stay calm, act nonchalantly.

“Thanks for the concern, Rami,” Joe said. “But there’s really nothing to worry about. I’m far too young for John and he wouldn’t go for someone like me anyways.”

“I’m not saying John isn’t a good guy. I’m saying be cautious. You’re my friend and I don’t want to see your heart get broken. I’ll see you up there.”

Joe let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He needed to get his feelings under control before someone else caught on, before John caught on. He looked at the clock on the wall, it was five o’clock. John would be finishing in the lower levels and would be coming to get him. Grabbing the book, Joe tried to continue to read, but he couldn’t concentrate.

His leg bounced with anticipation as he waited for John. The wolf decided only the night before that he would go to the full moon celebration and Joe was thrilled, but also nervous. This would be the first time he would be outside the compound since his arrival and he wasn’t sure what to expect. From what he heard from the twins and Ben, anything could happen.

There was a knock. He was here; John was here.

“It’s open,” Joe called out.

The door opened and John entered, a sweet smile on his face. Joe’s breathing hitched at the sight of John. The wolf was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple shirt, white tennis shoes covering his feet. In Joe’s eyes, John looked perfect and he felt like a slob. Wearing clothes he was borrowing from Ben because he hadn’t gotten his own yet.

“Are you ready?” John asked. His voice was calm and soothing, and it sent chills down the fox’s body.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

The sun was about to set when Joe and John made it outside. The wait for the elevator was long, John warned him ahead of time it would be, but Joe didn’t mind. It gave him and John time to talk about each other’s day. He asked John if he was excited about the full moon, to which John replied with a shrug followed by saying it’s nice getting some fresh air after crawling around wire all day. Joe laughed at the wolf’s little joke, who in turn laughed himself. Joe felt his stomach doing summer-salts and silently prayed for strength.

  
  


John did not want to be here. He didn’t want to spend the evening around so many people being loud and obnoxious. However, this celebration would be good for Joe, and Roger kept pestering him. He’d rather be relaxing in his room reading while the rest of the community made complete fools of themselves, but he didn’t want Joe to be there alone. He had endured this torment many times before, one more wouldn’t hurt.

He and Joe came across Brian and Roger as they were helping get tables set up. The outside area had been transformed, now looking like an outdoor mess hall instead of the barren woods. John could see that the wood had been set up and was ready to be lit. Soon the area would be blanketed with the smell of ash and cooking meat.

“Hey guys,” John said as he and Joe were upon the table.

“Hey Deaky, Joe,” Brian replied. “I’m glad you were able to come, both of you. You’ll have a great time, I’m sure of it.”

John shrugged. “Do you need any help?”

“Now, we’re almost done,” said Roger. “Joe, Ben and the twins are over there if you would like to sit with them tonight.”

“Sure, if it’s okay.”

Joe looked at John and the wolf nodded. Joe smiled and ran off to join the other young Weres.

  
  


Joe found Ben and the twins not far from the other adults. They were seated at a table, chit-chatting about whatever came to their minds. Lucy was also with them. She was a sweet girl; a few years younger than Joe and had a heart of gold. Her animal form was a doe, an odd mix with a jackal, Joe found, but she and Rami were cute together and it was clear they loved one another for who they were, not what they were.

“Hey guys,” he said.

“Joey-fox,” a blond boy said with a huge smile. He then enveloped Joe in a bone-crushing hug.

“Can’t breath, Ben,” Joe wheezed.

Ben let go. “Are you looking forward to this?”

“I don’t know,” Joe replied. “I think so, I guess.”

“You guess?” Ben asked, confused. “What kind of an answer is that?”

“He’s never been to something like this before, Ben,” Rami cut in.

“Never? Shit man, what the Hell do foxes do?”

“Ben, knock it off,” said Lucy. She stood from sitting on Rami’s lap and walked over to Joe. Putting her arm around her fellow Were, she smiled and said, “just ignore him, Joe.”

“We should probably start to gather,” Rami said as he stood and joined Lucy and Joe. He then took Lucy’s hand. “I just saw Freddie.”

  
  


Thousands of Weres began to gather around three large boulders. These rocks served as a stage for Freddie, who stood dead center. In Joe’s eyes, he looked like a larger than life rock star. There was no fear on his face; he wore a pair of tight jeans and a sleeveless shirt, the fire blazed to life behind him. Joe had never seen anyone or anything look so magnificent.

Sensing someone step up beside him, Joe turned. He relaxed when saw it was only John. The wolf smiled and pulled the young fox close.

“Get ready,” he whispered into Joe’s ear.

“For what?” Joe asked back.

John pointed to Freddie, Joe switched his gaze to the former Were.

The crowd’s thunderous applause was suddenly silenced by the raise of Freddie’s right hand. He held it in the air for almost a full minute before he lowered it back down to his side. Joe was intrigued; Freddie had yet to say a word to the large audience that was surrounding him, he just looked out over the crowd.

“On the sixth day, God created Man,” Freddie’s voice boomed out. “But His first attempt was not Adam. His first attempt was animalistic and wild, too chaotic, so he was cast out of the garden. It was there, in the untamed lands of the world that he thrived and created us, Weres!”

Everyone cheered and hollered loudly as that word left Freddie’s lips. Joe has to cover his ears because it was too loud to handle.

“Legends have portrayed us to be monsters,” Freddie continued. “But are we monsters?”

“No!” the crowd shouted back.

“What are we?”

“Weres!

“What are we?”

“Weres!”

“What are we?!”

“Weres!”

Joe heard a cornucopia of animal sounds. Everyone around the fox was releasing the sounds of their animal counterparts. He then heard a howl; turning his head, he saw that the howl was coming from John. His eyes had shifted from their natural color to gold. Feeding from the energy around him, Joe felt free and released his own sound.

  
  


When the excitement of the story died down, the feast commenced. The food was incredible; meal time at Rhapsody was never a disappointment, but tonight the food was incomparable. No one would starve tonight. Joe was sitting with the twins and Lucy while Ben was bouncing back and forth between their table and the table where Roger was sitting with John and Brian. Freddie was going from table to table, visiting with everyone for a few moments before moving on.

Joe was enjoying himself. Before tonight, he couldn’t remember the last time he had fun of any kind. Being the only fox in a wolf pack, it was difficult for him to let loose. He shook his head - that was the past and he couldn’t change it, only the future mattered. One that was filled with friends who didn’t look down on him because he was a red fox, and maybe, hopefully, a relationship with John.

“So, Joe,” Rami asked, he had to raise his voice a tad to be heard over the sea of noise. “What do you think? Are you having a good time?”

“Well, I definitely will need bigger clothes,” Joe joked as he swallowed some beef. “But I’m having a great time. It’s not at all what I thought it would be.”

“What were you expecting, then?” Rami asked.

Joe took a moment to think. Was his original thoughts even relevant? “It doesn’t matter,” he finally answered. He reached to the center of the table and grabbed some chicken. “Where did they get all this food?” he asked, ripping the meat off the bone before eating it.

“One of the cooks was once a chef at a Vegas hotel,” Lucy answered. “He still has many contacts in that industry, even after retiring.”

“Are you serious?” Joe asked. “A Were worked in Las Vegas…”

“Joe, you’ll find that many Weres made lives for themselves among mortals,” Rami added. “Sebastian only left the hotel so people wouldn’t become suspicious to why he wasn’t aging.”

“Which in my opinion is the best quality of being a Were,” came Ben’s voice.

Looking up, Joe saw the werelion sleuthing up to the table. He reeked of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.

“Being young and beautiful for-almost-ever,” he added with a giggle.

“Ben, how many drinks have you had?” Rami asked.

“Never you mind,” the blond replied as he fell down onto the bench as he tried to sit. “Sweet, steak!”

The lion grabbed the meat and tore into it like the animal he was.

“Ben, you’re disgusting,” Sami said as he stood. “Sorry, bro, but you’re on your own.”

The other Malek twin then walked off.

The young Weres continued eating when a familiar laugh rang the fox’s ear. Looking over his shoulder, Joe saw John laughing and swatting Freddie’s arm. Clearly he had said something that was highly inappropriate but still funny. Joe internally swooned over how beautiful John looked; the way his eyes wrinkled in the corners whenever he laughed or smiled. The fox bit his lower lip again, a habit he recently had developed.

“Is everything alright, Joe?” Rami asked.

Joe nodded quickly as he turned back around. Looking down at his plate, he suddenly felt very full. All the food he had just eaten was threatening to come back up.

“Rami, what did you mean when you said I should be cautious of John?”

Rami stopped mid-chew and swallowed. “Lucy, can you please take Ben to the drink table and help him sober up?”

“Hey, I’m not as think as you drunk I am,” Ben protested, followed by a hiccup.

“Sure you’re not,” Rami said as he helped Ben stand and gracefully passed him to Lucy. The two blonde Weres then walked gingerly off to the drink table.

“Sorry about that,” Rami said as she sat down next to Joe. “I figured that you wanted this to be private. I don’t know how much John has told you about himself, but he has scars, very deep ones in fact.”

Joe tensed. He was tempted to ask Rami to not say whatever it was he was about.

“He is not dangerous by any means,” Rami added, his tone assuring like it was before the celebration. “Freddie wouldn’t allow him to stay here if he was, but he is very guarded. So if you were wanting to pursue a relationship with him, don’t be surprised or take it too personally if he turns you down.”

Rami sympathetically patted Joe’s shoulder and stood from the table.

Any hope Joe had for happiness had just died. His heart felt like it was torn out of his chest and stomped on. Of course John wouldn’t be interested in him, and why would he? He was a fox; a no good unimportant scum of the earth red fox. Feeling tears welling up, Joe jumped from the table and dashed into the woods.

Joe ran until his legs gave out. He collapsed to the ground and folded his aching legs close to his chest, the tears fell from his eyes like a waterfall. He felt useless, Merrick should have killed him. He would be better off dead than heartbroken.

“What did he do now?” came a feminine voice.

Joe’s head shot up with a gasp. He didn’t know or expect anyone would have come after him.

It was Lucy, she had her arms crossed and an unpleasant look on her face.

“What?” Joe managed to choke out.

“That boyfriend of mine,” Lucy replied. “What did he do now?”

“Nothing, he just told me something I didn’t want to hear.”

“About John?”

Joe was dumbfounded. Was he really that transparent? He couldn’t respond to her question, he just looked down at the dirt. Lucy sat down next to Joe and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Tell me, what did he say?”

“That John’s guarded and would probably turn me down,” Joe replied.

“Oh, Joe, don’t take it too personally. Rami’s just over protective of everybody, but if you have feelings for John, you should tell him. Life is about taking risks; do you honestly think I would have met my true love if I didn’t take a chance?”

Joe just shrugged.

“I wouldn’t have,” Lucy continued. “Now you have an important question to ask, are you gonna be brave and tell John how you feel, or are you going to torture yourself because you are scared of what he will say?”

“What if he does say no?”

“Then you can stop worrying about it,” Lucy replied with a smile. “Now,” she stood and tugged Joe’s arm, “let’s get back, the dancing has already started.”

True to her word, there was indeed dancing. As Joe and Lucy returned, they were greeted with the sound of a live band and many people were dancing. It was a slow song and Joe thought everyone looked so sweet with their partners. Among them were Brian and Anita and Ben and Roger. Joe then noticed that John was still sitting at his table and was in deep conversation with Freddie.

“Joe, why not ask John to dance?” Lucy asked.

“I don’t know how to dance,” Joe replied.

“John does. Go on.” Lucy gently pushed him in John’s direction.

Joe walked slowly towards the table, his eyes were locked on John. He felt his stomach knot as he watched the wolf continue his conversation with Freddie. He mentally practiced how he was going to ask John. His mouth was dry, his heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it in his ears and his palms were drenched with sweat.

Before he knew it, Joe was at the table.

“Hey John.” his voice cracking slightly.

“Hey, Joe,” the wolf replied with a smile. “Is everything okay, you look kinda pale?”

“I’m fine, I was just wondering...” He froze mid-sentence - it was now or never. “I was wondering if you would like to dance? Y’know, with me?”

“That’s sweet of you,” John replied. “but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Oh,” Joe said looking down. With John sounded so reserved and aloof it was clear that he really didn’t care too.

“Oh, Deaky, dance with the boy,” said Freddie.

The wolf’s eyes danced between the fox and his best friend. Between the two of them, he was deadlocked

“Alright,” John said as he stood. “C’mon Joe.”

Taking the young fox’s hand, John guided them to where everyone else was dancing. The wolf took the lead, a fact Joe didn’t mind. He was telling the truth when he told Lucy he couldn’t dance. Taking Joe’s wrists, he placed them on his shoulders then placed his own hands on Joe’s waist.

“Follow me,” the wolf said sweetly.

The two Weres swayed slowly to the music ‘til Joe found his dancing legs. He was even brave enough to move his arms from John’s shoulders and encircled them around the werewolf’s neck.

“Are you having fun?” John asked.

Joe nodded with a smile. “I am, and I know why the run is saved for last. To burn off all the food.”

John through his head back with laughter. “Yeah, Sebastian really outdid himself tonight.”

“I still can’t believe someone here worked in Vegas...the twins told me”

“Yep, we all had a past life before Rhapsody.”

“What was yours like?”

Joe felt John stiffen a bit, but he didn’t stop their dancing.

“Quite,” he finally said, his tone was emotionless.

“What about your pack?” Joe asked.

“What about them?” John replied, dryly.

“Well, what were they like? Why aren’t you with them?”

“I’m not with them because I left it years ago.”

“I’ve never heard of a wolf leaving their pack.”

“Well mine was worth leaving. I hated them, the whole lot. With their merciless killings and their close-minded views about other Weres. To Hell with them, and I don’t want to talk about them anymore.”

“Okay,” Joe paused, surfing around his brain for a safer topic. “Are you having a nice time?”

“It’s been alright. Nothing too crazy has happened… yet.”

“Crazy?” Joe asked with a furrowed brow. “Were you expecting something?”

“Roger and Ben can get...” the wolf paused, “...a little out of control.”

“Because they’re together?”

The wolf only nodded. “I wish they were more discreet about their relationship.”

John then pulled Joe closer, enough that the fox was able to rest his head against John’s shoulder. Closing his eyes, he took in John’s scent. It was much better actually coming from him than what was lingering on his pillow. Joe then replayed his conversation with Lucy and she was right. If he didn’t tell John how he felt he would never get to be with him. However, there was also Rami’s warning.

Joe was brought back to reality when he felt John pull away from him.

“Where are you going?” he said confused.

“I don’t do fast songs,” John replied.

Joe was so caught up in his head that he didn’t notice the music had changed to a faster song. He saw John was headed back to his table. He grabbed the wolf’s arm before he could get too far. “Stay,” he pleaded. “I mean, can we go for a walk or something? We haven’t hung out at all tonight.”

John didn’t answer. Looking at John’s gorgeous eyes, he could tell that the wolf was thinking.

“Alright, but we’ll stay close because midnight will be soon.”

John and Joe walked for about twenty minutes. They didn’t stop or speak and the silence was uncomfortable. Soon they approached a dense area of shrubs and rocks. There was also a large log, a remnant of a tree long since dead. It was big enough that it could be sat on, which Joe did.

“John, are you against Roger and Ben’s relationship?” he asked.

“No, of course not. What gave you that idea?” John replied.

“Just what you said back there.”

John sat down beside Joe. “I have nothing against their relationship, what I was referring to was how public they can get with their affection. Some things in life are meant to be private, especially in front of Weres as young as yourself.”

“I’m not that young, I’m nearly forty.”

“That’s a teenager in Were years. A practical child.”

A child! John thought he was a child? No, he wasn’t a child, and he was going to prove it.

“Hey, John, do we have to wait ‘til midnight to go running?”

“Not really. It’s just tradi...”

John was cut off by Joe saying, “catch me,” then ran off towards the woods.

The wolf froze for a moment.

“Joe!” he called as he ran. “Joe, come back here.”

A pair of boxers hit John dead in the face. Removing them, he realized that Joe had shifted. Closing his eyes, John brought the dark colored material to his nose and took a deep sniff.

A gray wolf trekked across the dirt terrain of the woods. Its snout was pressed to the ground and was sniffing the trail in front of it. The scent of his prey was fresh; Joe had been there, and was there recently. The wolf continued to follow it and it led him deeper into the woods. It was almost midnight and once every Were in the community shifted, he would lose Joe’s scent.

_“C’mon, Joe, where are you?”_ he thought.

There was some rustling in the bushes to the left of the wolf. Turning his head, the wolf saw a flash of red.

_“Gotcha.”_

The wolf chased after the fox. The smaller animal had speed; he was running faster than the wolf could keep up. Mustering all his inner strength, the wolf picked his pace. He could hear laughter as he closed the gap between himself and the young boy. That little werefox was laughing at him.

_“Oh, you’re gonna get it.”_

The Weres continued their run.

Up head there was a large tree. It had to be a least twelve feet high and had a very large and thick trunk. Giddiness filled the wolf.

_“I have you now.”_

As soon as the fox was at the tree, he leaped into the air. The claws on his black-furred paws caught onto the bark and within a few moments, he was halfway up the tree. The wolf had to stop or he would have crashed into the trunk. Looking up, he saw the fox was resting on a large tree branch and was still laughing.

John shifted. He was covered in sweat, his hair was sticking to his forehead and he was breathing heavily.

“Joe, get down here at once,” he yelled.

The fox shook his head.

“Don’t you shake your head at me, and don’t make me come up there, because I will.”

The fox just laughed, and John had reached the end of his rope.

“Now, Joseph!” he screamed. The sound of a wolf growling was beneath his human voice.

The fox ceased his laughter. Moving from the branch, the fox jumped down. Once he had landed, he shifted. Joe’s skin was a light shade of pink and he had a cheeky grin on his face.

“You found me,” he said. The fox sounded like a shy child, but his body language was the opposite. He was swaying a little and wasn’t making complete eye contact with John.

“Joe, you can’t run off like that,” John said as he crossed his arms. He was doing his best to ignore Joe’s behavior..

“I’m sorry,” Joe said. “Were you worried about me?”

“Of course I was. You don’t know this area and anything could have happened.”

“Is that really why?” Joe asked, as he sauntered up to John. “Or is it because I’m a child?”

“Joe,” John sighed.

“I’m not one, y’know.” Joe said as he ran the back of his fingers along John’s arm.

“I know you're not a child,” John said as he moved his arm away.

“But you called me one.”

“I said your age was a child, not you personally. I find you to be very mature for your age.”

“You mean that? You don’t see me as a child?”

John shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

A silence fell between the Weres. Their eyes were locked on to one another. John wasn’t sure who exactly was doing the moving, but Joe was getting closer to him. He could feel the young fox’s breath against his face, but the moment was soon interrupted but what sounded like a stampede. Hundreds of feet were hitting the ground and the vibrations could be felt.

“It’s midnight,” John said.

“The run!” Joe exclaimed. “Let’s go, John!”

John grabbed Joe by the arm before he could get too far. “We’re going back to the compound,” he said.

“What about the run?”

“We’ve already been on a run.”

“Please John,” Joe begged. “This is the first time I’ve been able to shift and be a fox since I’ve been here.”

John looked deep into Joe’s eyes. He saw that the fox was needing this. “Alright but only for a few minutes.”

Joe beamed a large smile and took off towards the sound.

John let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. That was too close. Joe was indeed in love with him and had to set the boy straight before anything got out of hand. Joe needed to be with someone his own age, and he honestly, wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship. He didn’t need or want one. That part of his life was over.

Joe had shifted back to his fox form and was running rapid through the woods. He didn’t want to get left behind by everyone else. Out of the entire celebration, the run was what the red fox was looking forward to the most. He could never shift with his family, not without risk of being attacked. Maybe he would find the twins; he hadn’t seen them shifted and he was curious to what jackals looked like.

Judging by the sound, the fox figured he had to be getting close. But he then heard a new sound and it stopped. Homing in on the sounds, branches being snapped mixed with someone moaning. Terror shot through the fox; were those sounds coming from John, was the hurt? Hearing the moans get louder, the fox took off towards them. As they increased, the fox shifted and Joe replaced it.

“John!” he called out. “John, is that you?”

Joe halted when he came to a clearing. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight and source of the sounds. It wasn’t John, the moans were coming from Ben.

Ben was on his back, pinned to the ground beneath Roger’s body. His legs and arms were wrapped around the werehawk, and he had the heels of his feet digging into the older man’s buttocks, leaving trails of scratches from his fingernails down his back. Both men were completely naked, their bodies glowed with perspiration as they were moving together in perfect synchronicity. Ben’s eyes were closed and there was a look of pure pleasure over his youthful face.

Joe crouched to the ground and crawled closer to get a better view. When he got within a few feet, Joe heard Ben gasp and he was hit with a very distinct smell. He saw Roger pull himself out of Ben and laid on the dirt beside him. Both men had a look of complete satisfaction and Roger took one of Ben’s hands, placing a kiss on the back of it. There was a white-colored substance pouring out from between Ben’s buttocks and leaked onto the ground.

So that was what sex between to men was like.

Joe looked away, he was breathing heavily as if he had just been running. Joe felt his face, it was warm to the touch, like a fever. What was becoming of him; first he watched John as he showered and now this. The sound of giggling filled the night air. Looking back, Joe saw the giggles were coming from Ben. His laughter was soon joined by the werehawk as he rolled over and pulled Ben into his arms. Joe watched intently as their lips met in a deep, sensual kiss. Their lips danced for dominance as their arms wrapped around one another’s body.

They weren’t finished yet.

“Joe!” came a voice from a distance. “Joe, where are you?”

_“Crap,”_ Joe thought. It was John.

The fox pushed himself off of the ground and into a standing position. He quickly made his way towards John’s voice. He didn’t know how the wolf would react to him watching Roger and Ben, and he honestly didn’t want to find out. Nor did he want for Roger and Ben to know.

“Joe!”

“I’m over here, John,” Joe called out.

John soon appeared out of the clearing. He was now dressed and was holding Joe’s clothes in his hands.

“What are you doing over here?” John asked, walking towards Joe.

“I wasn’t able to find the others,” Joe replied as he took his clothes. “Thanks, by the way.”

The fox put his clothes on in a flash, and he and the wolf started to trek back to the compound. Neither man spoke, which was fine with Joe. He could still picture Ben and Roger; he could still hear Ben’s moans ringing in his ears and Joe was curious to know what more they were doing. Joe then wondered if John would do to him what Roger did to Ben. There was no doubt - Joe wanted John to be his One.

“John, would it be alright if I stayed with you tonight?” Joe asked. “I don’t know how late the twins will be out.”

“That’s fine,” John replied.

Joe only nodded, for he was hiding his inner celebration. He had a plan.

John had disappeared into the bathroom once he and Joe reached his quarters.

“I wanna rinse the sweet and dirt off,” he said over his shoulder. “I won’t be long.”

Joe was tempted to follow, but that was cut short by John shutting the door. The fox then heard a click, signaling that the door had been locked. He took a couple of deep-calming breaths. There was no need to rush, he was in John’s room after all. Joe stripped down to his borrowed boxers and slipped into John’s bed.

Joe had just made himself comfortable when he heard the bathroom door open. Unlike the other night, John wasn’t shirtless. When the wolf knelt down by the bed to get the sleeping pad, Joe spoke up.

“You can sleep in the bed tonight,” he said innocently. “There’s no way the floor is comfortable and it’s your bed anyways. And...” he broke off. He needed to come up with a convincing reason besides ‘I wanna sleep with you’. “I don’t want to have another nightmare.”

John didn’t answer immediately. He contemplated, Joe could tell by his face and eyes. He hoped the wolf would say yes, he wanted to be close to him.

“Alright,” John agreed without reluctance.

Joe slid over to allow room for John. He was mustering all the strength he had to hide his excitement. He covered both of them with the blanket and snuggled into John’s side. He could smell John again and he loved it. With another bite to his bottom lip, Joe moved closer and kissed John’s lips.

“Whoa!” John exclaimed as he sat up. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Kissing you,” Joe replied.

“I can see that, but why?”

“Because I wanted to,” Joe replied with a smile. He then reached out to caress the wolf’s cheek.

“Stop it, Joseph,” John said sternly as he shoved Joe’s hand off. “This is completely inappropriate, don’t ever do it again! Now go to sleep.”

On the brink of tears, Joe rolled over and silently sobbed himself into a dreamless sleep.

What had he done?


End file.
